For 3 years I have been using my financial information to apply for student aid for my daughter. She is 21 and lives with me and enrolled in a new york public college. We get about $660 per year in aid. Me and her mother divorced 16 years ago. Her mom doesnt work and is on SSi, she remarried and her husband works… I make around $100k per year and have assets. she filed for bankruptcy 2 years ago. So I need to fill out the FAFSA again. Would it be of substantial benefit to use her moms information? Does her mom have to fill out the FAFSA? Not sure how cooperative she will be. Her tuition is approx $8900 per year. She wants to go for her masters at the same college, and that would be approx $11,000 per year. I claimed her on my 2017 taxes and plan to claim her on my 2018 taxes… thx
Which parent files the fAFSA is not determined by who claims her on taxes or which parent would generate the most FA but on which parent she lives with the most, spends the most overnights with during the 365 days before filing FAFSA. If she spends exactly the same number of nights with each of you, then the parent who provides the most support files.
@mommdc, Not necessarily. Guidelines for the Excelsior are pretty strict. If she was already enrolled when the scholarship came out she would need to have 12 credits per semester that counted towards her degree to be eligible. When it rolled out our income was ~half the maximum allowed, but my son didn’t qualify.
I have been doing the FAFSA for years, she lives with me, i pay her college and health insurance. sounds like i have to continue doing the FAFSA with my income.
I tried the scholarship 2 years in a row, she didnt qualify. She was a liberal arts student, she transferred to a 4 year school , some courses didnt transfer, and she was no longer on target to graduate within 4 years of starting college. i contacted the school and NYS Higher ed. and they said she doesnt qualify, i was below the income threshold. I have heard from others that getting Excelsior scholarship is not as easy as the governor stated .
@Crown123 just a few things to consider. If she applies under mom her loans can potentially be forgiven due to moms disability. Fed loans cannot be forgiven under you.
Also, something we just learned while doing our fafsa this year, oldest S will begin his masters at UCSD. He is 22 and is/will continue to be a dependent. He has been a student athlete during his bs years so he has not been able to work.
On his fafsa the only finances considered were his. There was no longer an option for parent finance information. We knew he would no longer be eligible for grants but we were a bit surprised that next year he will need to either take out loans or hopefully receive research grants.
Please back up. The first test for which parent is included on the FAFSA when parents are divorced is who the student resided with 51% of the time for the year prior to the filing date of the FAFSA.
In this case, it’s the dad as he has indicated. Full stop there.
The reason your son no longer uses your parent info is because he already has a bachelors degree and is considered independent for financial aid purposes.
In addition, my opinion…don’t take out loans at all if your only intent is to never pay them back.